


Hear No Evil

by Inked_Dagger



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Deaf!Seb, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 15:40:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20194654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inked_Dagger/pseuds/Inked_Dagger
Summary: Sebastian and Jim have had to work out what to do around Sebastian being unable to hear.





	Hear No Evil

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I'm hearing, and if there is something that HOH or Deaf people would like to critique, please let me know and I'll do what I can to fix it!   
Based off of this tumblr post: https://the-spider-and-the-sniper.tumblr.com/post/184751831680/ficlet-idea-sebastian-is-deaf

Meetings were always terribly boring. Sebastian had to work to keep himself from letting his mind wander too much. It wasn't as though he could just listen to the meeting, to the client either begging for time or being unbearably arrogant. The sniper usually just read the conversation from the client's lips, though even then he only got half of what was being said. 

Well, that used to be the case. Sebastian wasn't sure why he thought Jim hadn't known he was deaf. The two had pretended for a while, but Sebastian slipped. He had gotten lost in a routine and hadn't paid attention to if he had company. Now, Jim and Sebastian worked together to come up with subtle hand-signals. They both knew British Sign Language, and apparently, to Sebastian's pleasant surprise, Jim preferred that to speaking. But with work, they needed something simpler, something that as easily detected. If it got around that James Moriarty's right hand man and top hitman was deaf, it would expose a weakness in the entire empire, a loose strand in the web. 

Over a few weeks, the pair had managed to come up with a sort of short hand that worked really only one way. Jim would signal, Sebastian would act. They practiced for months, working on the subtleties and a few responses once Sebastian was comfortable with them. 

At this point, Jim could convey the summary of the conversation with a few simple gestures, and Sebastian could signal he understood without drawing attention. It was nice, not having to struggle to be sure he'd gotten the right idea about the meeting. However, it did make it easier to lose track of time and get lost in thought. Though the tension in the air was enough to anchor Sebastian to the present. 

The way the client was shaping the words, the posture -too relaxed for someone in the center of the spider's web- all told Sebastian that the meeting was going to go poorly. The slight tension in Jim's shoulders, the restless tapping of his fingers on his thigh, the half-finished signals to just end the meeting told the sniper Jim felt the similarly. 

Part of what made Sebastian a good sniper was the ability to read subtle body movements that a hearing person might miss. Like the client's bodyguard shifting his weight, revealing a gun in an ankle holster. Like the client's hands inching closer to a poorly hidden blade in his jacket. Like Jim leaning back to distance himself from the inevitable blood bath if either of them touches their weapons. 

Sebastian kept perfectly still, taking in the scene, ready to move. He kept his focus on Jim, even if he was watching the client. The signals they'd come up with were meant for peripheral vision, and Sebastian made sure he could read them clearly before approving them. A slow flick of the wrist, and a perfectly timed sequential tapping, and Sebastian moved. 

The bodyguard dropped before the client could process that Sebastian drew his weapon. The sniper moved between the client and James without much effort and held the gun to his head, waiting for the signal to finish the job. 

Instead of the triple tap on his right shoulder, Sebastian felt Jim put his hand on his right shoulder. The signal to wait. 

Sebastian couldn't stop the smile spreading across his lips. The light touch, the heat of Jim leaning closer, the kick-step the criminal mastermind did that caused the ground to shake slightly, that told him that Jim was ready to play. 

Perfect.


End file.
